Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
whew! this book was not an easy read. it was GREAT, don't get me wrong--it was just difficult to stomach many of the facts reported in it. i am glad i have already sworn off fast food, and i am more convinced than ever that if i ever DO have a baby, it is not allowed into a fast food establishment until it is at least sixteen years old and driving its own car. i figure at that point, i can't stop it from doing watever it wants to anyway. but i digress...
the most interesting/horrifying part of this book is the information on the working conditions and food safety regulation enforcement (or lack therof) in the meatpacking industry. it is astounding how greedy and profit-driven people are, to the detriment of both their own morality and also the health of the general populace. it was also fascinating to learn how tied into politics these issues are, when politics should have NOTHING to do with protecting the health and well-being of our nation's children.
the other sticking point to me is the fact that 9 times out of 10, i don't know where my food is coming from. you eat out, and you just trust the people in the restaurant to take care of you--perhaps stupid when you really think about it. and even in the grocery store--the last time i bought beef from a big chain, it was red on top, but grey and weird on the bottom--i just threw it away. let's hear it for whole foods and their ready information about the farms where they get their meat and produce. free range meats taste better, and i feel better about eating them, too.
can you tell this book makes me want to stand up and rant!? i would recommend this book to anyone who has ever eaten out. it's fascinating and scary and a real eye-opener.
two other books about food, fat, and health i highly recommend:and while i am at it, super size me was awesome, too.
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